The Green Fields Of France Lyrics And Chords. Written By Eric Bogle, Probably
the finest anti war song ever written and covered beautifully by ''The Fureys''.Eric has written tons of great songs, more
of Eric Bogle Songs this song was also recorded by Ronnie Drew and The Dubliners and more recent by Celtic Thunder, The Dropkick Murphy's,
John McDermott, Liam Clancy and the famous Irish tenor singer Ronan Tynan. While I was compiling the top 100 Irish folk songs
of all time this one came in at No. 14 , yes I know it's not Irish but it was recorded by The Fureys and is their biggest
hit song to date.

Lyrics: Stephen L. Suffet, This is the reply that Willie McBride gives to Eric Bogle. The song is set to the
same tune as The Green Fields Of France , and what a great tribute it is to Eric's song . I wonder has this reply to a song
been done this way before ?

My dear friend Eric, this is Willie McBride,Today I speak to you across the divide,Of
years and of distance of life and of death,Please let me speak freely with my silent breath.

You might think me
crazy, you might think me daft,I could have stayed back in Erin, where there wasn't a draft,But my parents they raised
me to tell right from wrong,So today I shall answer what you asked in your song.

Yes, they beat the drum slowly,
they played the pipes lowly,And the rifles fired o'er me as they lowered me down,The band played "The Last Post" in
chorus,And the pipes played "The Flowers of the Forest."

Ask the people of Belgium or Alsace-Lorraine,If my
life was wasted, if I died in vain.I think they will tell you when all's said and done,They welcomed this boy with
his tin hat and gun.

And call it ironic that I was cut down,While in Dublin my kinfolk were fighting the Crown.But
in Dublin or Flanders the cause was the same:To resist the oppressor, whatever his name.

Yes, they beat the drum
slowly...,,,.

It wasn't for King or for England I died,It wasn't for glory or the Empire's pride.The reason
I went was both simple and clear:To stand up for freedom did I volunteer.

It's easy for you to look back and sigh,And
pity the youth of those days long gone by,For us who were there, we knew why we died,And I'd do it again, says Willie
McBride.

Well hear we are now in 2thousand11and Willie McBride looking down from heavenwould he think it
ironic theres no change in manwhen he see,s what is happening in Afganistanis there any real difference from 1915a
young soldiers death is just as obscenethe only real difference from 1915the fields are blood red and the poppies
are green